Amusement apparatus



ATTORNEY WITNESS:

June 23, 1925. 1,543,594

M. T. BERMAN AMUSEMENT APr RA'ws Filed March 14. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Q June 23, 1925 M. T. BERMAN AIUSBNENT APPARATUS Filed March 14, 1923 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 Mal-ma $9M mysu-ron,

. I I BY i I I I I v ATTORNEY.

Patented June 23, 1925 assa :gPATENT ore-ice.

Moan-Ara. BEEMAN, or new YORK, N. r.

AMUSEMELIT Arr enius.

Application filed March .14, 1923. Serial No. 525,991.

roll from a starting point to a iini'sl iing point or goal, in competition with each other, there being one ball under the control and being directed by eachperson; anapparatus as just featured {in which each of the balls haste travel in a circuitous gath to get to the goal; an apparatus ust featured which includes ba -race units with means common tovall of saidball-r; "e units for releasing the balls employed,means common to all Iotfsai'd ball-race units'fordischargingthe balls from the r-ace-ways and means for manipulating the balls subsequent to their release and until one has reached the goal, the latter mea-ns eachbein g under controlot one person; and w th theseand other objects in view the'invention resides .in. the, combination, relative disposition, construction, and operation of the parts hereinafter fully; described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aplan view.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3, Figure 1. I

Figure 4: is a diagrammatic view illustrating the ball-discharging means.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the v ball-releasing means.

Figure 6 1s aperspectiveview of a pair of the ball-propellers.

The apparatus of the present invention, generally, comprises ball-race units -10supported at an inclination by a supporting structure 11 including agcounter 12, ballreleasing means 13, ball-manipulating or controllingand llrecting means 14, and balldischarging means 15..

Each ball-race unit 10 comprises a frame -16 having side rails .17 and end rails -18 to define a substantially rectangular space which is subdivided by members 19 into regions or compartments, there being a :Portions through openings in the side rails 17.

starting compartment 20, intermediatecompartments 21, and a finishingcompartment 22. The members 19 are preferably glass andare arranged in spaced relationship end to end and side to side thus defining the compartments or regions mentioned and defining passages 23 also which in fact allows a ball to travel from the compartment 20 to the compartment 22. The members 19ers of such lengths and so arranged as to require-that aha-ll travel in a circuitous path to get from the compartment 20 to the compartment 22 and also act as obstacles as the ball rolls in its downward course. The

compartment 20 has an entrance 2st at which it is temporarily confined. and through which it passes to the starting compartment 20 when released. The frame 16 has a bottom 25'having openings therein which-occur in each of the compartments for a reason to appear; 1

The ball-releasing means'13 is common to all. of the ball-race units 1O,and in the present instance comprises slides or doors '30, there being one at each of the entrances 2 1, and these doors are connectedto roc mg levers 31 connected-to .a rock-shaft mounted 1n suitable bearings 335- A handlever 34' connected to the rock-shaftserves for the rocking of the rock-shaft 82 and the raising and lowering of the doors 3O in unison. V

Each ball-manipulating means 14: comprises oscillatory ball-propellers 40 and an operating device 41 for eitl'ecting the oscil-' 'lation of the ball-propellers 4:0. The device 41 comprises rock-shaft 42 mounted in suitable bearings l3beneath 1ts associatcc ball-race unit 10 longitudinally and centra'lly thereof. A pair of opposed ball-propellers 40 are employedin conjunction with each of the compartments'ot the associated umt'lO, and the said-bal- -propellers are car- 'ried by a bracket or support 44 attached in suitable mann'erto the rock-shaft 42. of the ball-propellers extend a. manipu'latinghandle l5 isconnectedto one end ofth'e rock-shaft 42 andthe grip 46 of said handlegis disposed in juxtaposition to the top ofthe counter l byvirtue of an opening in the said top which opening has buffers 47 at the ends thereof to limit and cushionthe handle in its movement. It shouldnow be manifest thatupon manipulation of the handle 45 the ball-pifopellers any will move or oscillate and thus will propel a ball when contacting the same to either the left or the right.

The ball-discharging means 15 is common to all of the ball-race units 10, and in the present instance comprises hingedly mounted doors and mechanism 51 for swinging said doors 50. A door 50 is arranged in the opening of the bottom 25 of each unit 10* and the doors of each unit are connected to a rod 52 to which is attached a strap iron 53 with a recess 54. A rock-shaft 55 is employed and is mounted in suitable bearings. A lever 56 is carried by the rock-shaft 55 and the free end of the lever is bifurcated and carries rollers57 between which the strap iron 53 extends. A hand lever 58 is employed and is connected to the rock-shaft through the intervention of a lever 59 pivoted as at 60, an arm 61 connected to the rocleshaft 55 anda rod 62 which connects the lever 59 and the arm 61. It should now be manifest that upon movement of the hand lever 58 the doors 50 may be raised and lowered at will in unison. When raised the doors have their upper surfaces flush with the upper surfaces 01' the bottom 25 of each of the units 10 and with the latter serve as a way over which the balls 63 roll. Suitable stops Get are employed to limit the downward movement of each door 50.

it is to be noted that the hand-lever 34: of the ball-releasing means is at the rear of the apparatus, whereas, the hand-lever 58 of the ball-discharging means is at the front of the apparatus. I 1

In practice the frame 16 will have a glass cover which not only serves in the confinement of the ball of each unit but also allows the participant to observe the progress of the ball as it travels toward the goal.

In the operation of the apparatus the balls are released by an. attendant in the manipulation of the hand-lever 3st; the balls passing through the entrances 2a to the starting compartments 20. The participants in the manipulation of the handles 45 control and direct the balls individually to pass through the passages 23 until one of the participants is successful in directing his or her ball as the case may be to the finishing compartment or goal who is then and thereby declared to be the winner. Further manipulation of the handle then ceases and the lull-discharging means is operated whereupon all out the balls irrespective of what compartments they may be in will be discharged by virtue of the lowered doors 50 to a suitable chute or run-way provided to return the balls to the rear of the apparatus.

It is to be understood that any preferred number of units 10 may be employed and it is also to be understood that any and all changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims hereunto appended may be resorted to whenever it is deemed necessary or desirable.

lVhat I claim is: i

1. An amusement apparatus comprising balls, inclined ball-races over each o1 which one of said balls rolls, ballreleasing means for starting the downward roll of all of said balls over said ball-races respectively, ballmanipulating means for manipulating each of said balls after being released by said releasing mcans as it rolls over its ball-race, and ball-discharging means for discharging all of said balls from said ball-races, when one of the balls has reached the limit of its travel over th ball-race.

2. An amusement, apparatus comprising balls, inclined ball-races over each of which one of said balls rolls, each of said ballraces including obstacles spaced end to end and side to side to define compartments and passages through which latter the ball passes when properly manipulatechball releasing means for starting the downward roll of all of the balls over said ball-races respectively, ball-manipulating means for manipulating each of said balls as it rolls over its ball-race, after being released by said ball releasing means and ball-discharging means for discharging all of said balls from said ball-races when one of the balls of the ballraces has passed all of said obstacles.

3. An amusement apparatus comprising balls, inclined ball-races over each of which one 01 said balls rolls, ball-releasing means for starting the downward roll of all of the balls over said ball-races respectively, said ball-releasing means including doors movable in unison; ball-manipulating means for manipulating each of said balls as it rolls over its ball-race after being released by said ball releasing means, and ball-discharging means for discharging all of said balls from said ball-races when one of the balls has reached the end of its respective ballrace.

t. An amusement apparatus comprising balls, inclined ball-races over each of which one of said balls rolls, eachof said ball-races having a starting compartment with an entrance through Which the ball passes in its downward roll, ball-releasing means for starting the downward roll of all of the balls over said ball-races, said ball-releasing means including doors movable in unison, one door being arranged at entrance of each starting compartment mentioned; ball-maiipulating means for manipulating each of said balls as it rolls over its ball-race, after having been released by said ball releasing means and ball-discharging means for dlscharging all or said balls from said ballraces when one of the balls has reached the 7 ion balls, inclined ball-races over each of which one of said balls rolls, ball-releasing means for starting the downward roll of all of the balls over said ball-races respectively, ballmanipulating means for manipulating each of said balls as it rolls over its ball-race, after having been released by said ball releasing means said ball-manipulating means including oscillatory ball-propellers; and ball-discharging means for discharging all of said balls from said ball-races when one of the balls has reached the end of its respective ball-race.

6. An amusement apparatus comprising balls, inclined ball-races over each of which one of said balls rolls from a starting point to a goal, ball-releasing means for starting the downward roll of all of the balls over said ball-races respectively, ball-manipulating means for manipulating each of said balls as it rolls over its ball-race, after having been released by said ball releasing means, said ball-manipulating means including oscillatory ball-propellers and an operating handle connected to each of said oscillatory ball-propellers; and ball-discharging means for discharging all of said balls from said ball-races when one of the balls has reached the end of its respective ball-race.

7. An amusement apparatus comprising balls, inclined ball-races over each of which one of said balls rolls from a starting point to a goal, ball releasing means for starting the downward roll of all of the balls over said ball-races respectively, ball-manipulating means for manipulating each of said balls as it rolls over its ball-race, after being released by said releasing means and ball-discharging means for discharging all of said balls from said ball-races, when one of the balls has reached its goal, said ball-discharging means including hingedly mounted doors movable in unison.

S. An amusement apparatus comprising balls, inclined ball-races over each of which one of said balls rolls from a starting point to a goal, ball-releasing vmeans for starting the downward roll of all of the balls over said ball-races respectively, ball-manipulating means for manipulating each of said balls as it rolls over its ball-race, after being released by said releasing means and ball-discharging means for discharging all of said balls from said ball-races, when one of the balls has reached its goal, each of said ball-races embodying intercommunicating compartments, said ball-discharging means comprising hingedly connected doors and mechanism for effecting the movement of said doors in unison and one of said doors being arranged so as to constitute the bottom of each of said compartments.

9. An amusement apparatus comprising balls, inclined ball-races over each of which one of said balls rolls from a starting point to a goal, each of said ball-races comprising obstacles arranged transversely with rcspect to the surface on which the ball rolls,

the obstacles being disposed in spaced relationship end to end and side to side to define compartments and ball-passages, the latter being out of alinement, and there being a starting compartment and a finishing compartment or goal; ball-releasing means for starting the downward roll of all of the balls over said ball-races respectively, said ball-releasing means comprising doors and mechanism for efiecting the movement of said doors in unison, one of said doors being arranged at the entrance to each of said starting compartments; ball-manipulating means for manipulating each of said balls as its rolls over its ball-race, after the ball has been released by said ball releasing means, said ball-manipulating means comprising oscillatory ball-propellers and a device having a handle for effecting the oscillatory movement of said ball-propellers, there being two ball-propellers disposed in each of said compartments; and ball-discharging means, for discharging all of said balls from said ball-races, when one of the balls reaches its respective goal, said balldischarging means comprising hingedly mounted doors and mechanism for effecting the movement of said hingedly mounted doors in unison, and one of said hingedly mounted doors being arranged at the bottom of each of said compartments.

10. In an amusement apparatus with which participants control and direct rolling balls as they roll from a starting point to a goal, surfaces over each of which a ball rolls, obstacles over each, of said sur faces and arranged to define a circuitous passage through which the ball may roll, oscillatory ball-propellers arranged in opposed pairs, and operating means for effecting the oscillation of the ball-propellers, during the passage of the balls over said surfaces there being ball-propellers and operating means associated with each of said surfaces and the obstacles thereon for directing the ball through the circuitous passage.

11. In an amusement apparatus with which participants control and direct roll ing balls as they roll from a starting point toward a goal, ball-race units in each of which one ball rolls when released, means for releasing all of the balls simultaneously,

each ball-race unit including means for controlling and directing the ball as it rolls over the ball-race units toward the goal.

In testimony whereof I hereby afiiX my signature.

MURRAY T. BEBMAN. 

